Machine for opening envelops.



No. 758,315. PATENTED APR. 26; 1904.

' A. HESS.

MACHINE FOR OPENING BNVBLOPS.-

. Y APPLICATION FILED 122x20. 1904. no momm. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

wifumoe/a UNITED STATEs Patented April 26, 1904.

ABRAM HESS OF LEBANON, PENNSYLVANIA.

MACHINE FOR OPENING ENVELOPS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 758,315, dated April 26, 1904. Applioatifln fi e February 20, 1904 Serial No. 194,543; (No model.)

1'0 (tZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ABRAM Hess, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lebanon, in

the county of Lebanon and State of Pennsyh vania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Opening Envelops; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and. exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains'to make and use the same.

My invention relates to means for opening envelops, has for its object the rapid opening of envelops by cutting off one of the ends or edges of envelops, and consists in certain improvements in a machine for the purpose,

' Fig. 2; Fig. 4, a side elevation of the supporting-plate detached, and Fig. 5 a front end view of the same.

Reference being had to the drawings and the designating characters thereon, the numeral 1 indicates the frame or body of the machine; 2, a revoluble cylinder on a shaft 3, which is supported in the sides I of the frame and is provided with a gear-wheel 5, by which the cylinder is revolved, and on the periphery of the cylinder and extending transversely or across the machine is a knife 6 for shearing or cutting off an end or edge of an envelop.

7 indicates the supporting-plate on which the envelops are supported while they are being cut. The plate is preferably provided with longitudinal flanges 8 on its sides and a transverse rib 9 for stiffening the plate and is pivotally supported on a rod 10, engaging the sides 4 of the frame to swing vertically between the sides 4 to allow the envelops to discharge under the cylinder 2 after they have been cut,

.11 11 indicate cams secured to a shaft 12, also supported in the sides a of the frame, and

at one end of said shaft is a gear-wheel 13, by

which the shaft and the cams are revolved through the medium of the gear-Wheel 14, mounted on shaft 15 and provided with a crank 16. The gearing is preferably inclosed in a cap or housing 17, secured to one side of the machine.

The plate 7 rests at its outer end upon the cams l1 and-.. falls with the cams in their re'volution until the plate is arrested by the transverse rod 18, when the cams in their revolution engage the outer end of the plate and raise it into position to receive the thrust or pressure of the knife 6 to cut off another envelop. In the revolution of the cams the plate after its descent to the rod 18 is engaged by the circular part 19 thereof. The time of revolution of the cams being synchronous with that of the cylinder raises the plate to its horizontal and normal position to support the next envelop to be out.

20 indicates a receptacle formed between thevsides of the frame to receive envelops or letters to be opened, and in which the letters stand on one edge or end. The receptacle is provided with a transverse bar 21, secured to a transverse rod 22 by arms 2-3 and rests against the side of the envelops to hold them in the receptacle, and from which they are transferred to the plate '7, lying between the sides 4 of the frame, and are fed to'the cylinder 2 and its knife 6 by the hand of the operator either by pushing them under the bar 2l onto the plate 7 or by lifting them over the bar onto the plate. 7

After the envelops have been cut the plate 7 descends, and the envelops fall with it and are delivered under the cylinder 2 upon a desk or into a suitable receptacle.

Havingthus fully described my invention, what I claim is 1. A machine for opening envelops, provided with a revoluble cylinder, a knife supported on said cylinder, an envelop-supporting plate, means for supporting said plate at its outer end and constructed to lower and raise the plate at said end.

2. A machine for opening envelops provided with an envelop-receptacle, an envelopsupporting plate pivotally connected at one end to the frame, means for supporting said plate at its free end, and constructed to lower and raise the plate at said end, and a knife mounted on a revoluble cylinder for cutting envelops.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ABRAM HESS.

Witnesses:

NED. BOUGHTER, K. M. REINHARD. 

